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-Joe Offer-

Hi,

About two days ago I started a ballad study of the "Died for Love" ballads. I need your help to try and sift through the myriad versions and variants.

I'll start with a few questions that I have.

1) Do you know of any Irish versions or broadsides of "Rambling Boy"?

2) Is there an older version of "Sheffield Park" online- that dates to the 1700s?

3) What are some early versions (pre-1700s) of "Died for Love" and what is the origin (first source and date) of this last stanza?

from The Treasury of Musick-Lawes 1669:

Last, build my tomb of lovers' bones,
Set round about with marble-stones,
My Scutcheon bearing Venus Dove,
My epitaph, I died for love.

4) What is the earliest "Brisk Young Sailor" version? other "brisk Young" versions?

5) What is source of late 1700s, "Answer to the Rambling Boy"?

6) Does anyone have or can find "The cruel father, or, deceived maid"
or "A squire's daughter" both apparently begin "A squire's daughter near Aclecloy."

7. What are different spelling for "Aclecloy" ?

8. When did alehouse (tavern) become added and what version was it added to?

Thank you in advance, I'll post some of the basic versions.

Richie